TRANSLATION OF THE BALDRIGE AWARD CRITERIA TO A CONTEXT MORE ACCESSIBLE TO SMALL COMPANIES

摘要

Experience has shown that many small companies find it too costly or impractical to use the criteria of the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award as a tool to improve their quality culture. A state-level award has found a way to make the criteria more accessible to small companies without diluting the essence of the criteria. The Connecticut Quality Improvement Award has translated the specifics of the Baldrige criteria to a set of 37 questions to which applicants, or those wishing to use the criteria for self-assessment, can respond with considerably reduced effort.